Pulp agitator and refiner.



F. B. GILLIGAN.

PULP AGITA'IOR AND REFINBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1914.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

FRANK ."BFGILLIGAN', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PULP AGITATOR Ann REFINE'R.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915 Application filed May 5. 1914. Serial No. 836.579.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK B. GILLIGAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident ofthe borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have made a certain new and useful Invention Relating to Pulp Agitators and Refiners, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. which forms part'of the same. I

. This invention relates especially to agitators and refiners for paper pulp or similar fibrous material in which the tank is proyided with a circulating system comprising an uptake pressure pipe so as to discharge the pulp or fibrous material at relatively high pressure and velocity against a suitable impact member which may be provided with separating projections or serrations to promote the disintegration or separation of the fibrous material.

In the accompanying drawings showing in a somewhat diagrammatic way an illustrative embodiment of this invention, Figure 1' is a vertical section, parts being shown in elevation; and Fig. 2 is a bottom view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

The tank 1 may be of any suitable size and construction and may be mounted on suitable supports. such as 9. The tank is preferably provided with an inclined discharging bottom such asfl so as to promote the discharge of the suspended fibrous material through the opening 3. The circulating pump or pressure device may be a suitable centrifugal pump, such as 7, preferably having a central top delivery which may with advantage be brought into substantial vertical alinement with the uptake pressure pipe 2 and be connected therewith through a suitable control valve, such as 10. The inlet connection of the pump, such as 5, may be substantially straight in its upper portion at least and alined with the discharge opening 3 of the tank, a suitable shut-off valve such as 6 beinginterposed in this connection, if desired. This circulating pump is arranged so as to create different pressures for the different treatments desired and this may be accomplished by throttling the control or shut-off valves referred to or by varying the pump speed, or both, and as indicated the pump may be driven by a belt cooperating with the step or cone pulley 8 and provided with a low integrating or refining action is required.

A suitable impact member is arranged to cooperate with the upper discharge end of the pressure pipe 2 and if desired this impact member may have a conical central portion 23 so as to project more or less within the flaring pressure nozzle 20 and centrally engage the jet of material discharged therefrom. The impact member 18 may for this purpose be arranged substantially centrally above the pressure pipe and be vertically adjustable with respect thereto by providing it with a suitable adjusting screw 14 which may be turned by the adjusting lever 15 so as to adjust the vertical position of this impact member in connection with the threaded seat 17 in the upper frame members 16 secured at the top of the tank. It is desirable to provide the impact member with removable impact plates throughout at least part of its surface and for this purpose the sectional impact plates 11 may be used and secured to the impact member 18 in any desired way so as to be readily renewed when worn. For many purposes projections or serrations are desirable on the impact surfaces and these may be conveniently formed in the stamped or otherwise shaped impact plates of sheet steel or the likeiwhich may be provided with V-shaped teeth or projections, such as 1.), so as to exert the desired separating or disintegrating action on the fibrous material during the refining thereof.

The charge of suspended paper pulp or other fibrous material or the like may be supplied to the tank through the supply pipe 21, located at any convenient point and provided with the valve 22. W'hen" the tank has been filled to the desired extent, preferably up toabout the upper end of the uptake pressure pipe 2 the circulating pump may be started and the material forced with the desired pressure or velocity up through the pressure pipe and into impingement with the impact member which may be vertically adjusted so as to secure thedesired intensity of separating, and disintegrating action. For instance, the impact member may be brought down into dotted position so as to considerably throttle the effective opening of the pressure nozzle and develop the desired high pressure in the escaping jet at this point which for some purposes may be many pounds per square inch. The

' conical point of the impact member separates and distributes the jet of material throughout the different parts of the tank and the material gradually descends down through the tank as indicated by the arrows. For less energetic action during mixing, washing or bleaching operations the impact member may be raised to a greater extent toward the upper position indicated in full linesflin the drawing when its spreading action is of relatively greater importance. When the desired treatment of the charge has been effected it may be with- I drawn from the tank by more or less closing the control valve 10 and opening the discharge valve 13 so as to allow the material to be discharged from the discharge pipe or connection 12, more or less circulation being.

preferably maintained up through the tank at the same time if settling is to be minimized.

substantially central valved uptake pressure pipe arranged in said tank and provided with a flaring pressure nozzle, an adjustable pressure centrifugal pump having a central top delivery connected to said pressure pipe, a valved substantially vertical inlet connection from the discharge of said tank to said pump, a vertically adjustable substantially conical impact member arranged substantially. axially in the upper portion of said tank to cooperate with the discharge end of said' pressure pipe to refine and substantially uniformly distribute the material throughout said tank, replaceable impact plates secured on said impact member and provided with disintegrating serrations and a valved discharge pipe connected to the delivery of said pump.

2. In agitators and refiners for paper pulp and similar fibrous material, a tank provided with an inclined bottom discharge, a substantially central valved uptake pressure pipe arranged in said tank and provided with a flaring pressure nozzle, an adjustable pressure centrifugal pump having a top delivery connected to said pressure pipe, a valved substantially vertical inlet connection from the discharge of said tank to said pump, a substantially conical impact member arranged substantially axially in the upper portion of said tank to cooperate with the discharge end of said pressure pipe to refine and substantially uniformly distribute the material throughout said tank, and a valved discharge pipe connected to the delivery of 'said pump.

FRANK B. GILLIGAN.

Witnesses HARRY L. DUNCAN, 'Jnssm B. KAY. 

